Golf roundup: Park wins US Women's Open for first LPGA Tour victory

The South Korean juggernaut continued as long-hitting Park Sung-hyun broke a three-way tie with two late birdies to win the U.S. Women's Open by two strokes at Trump National on Sunday for her first major championship.

Through the first three round of the U.S. Women's Open Golf Championship, Shanshan Feng had patience and a plan.

Park, a 23-year-old from South Korea, fired a 5-under 67 to pull away on the back nine and finish 11-under for the tournament.

Choi, the world number two amateur who has a win on the Korean LPGA Tour and a top-10 finish on the LPGA Tour this season, battled fellow South Korean victor Park Sung-hyun to the wire before finishing two shots back.

President Donald Trump watched the final round from a viewing tent behind the 16th tee. With three holes left, her chance for victory vanished when her tee shot at the par-3 16th found the water.

Feng's only major victory came at the 2012 LPGA Championship, her first United States triumph.

Feng had a one-shot lead after the first round and a two-shot margin at the halfway point, but she just could not hit it close in the third round.

"At the time I felt that all this work, hard work I put together was going to disappear so I was bit disappointed but I had to refocus", said Choi. Choi double-bogeyed the hole and dropped to 8-under, two shots off the lead with two holes to play.

"I look back, I should be happy actually about my result", she said, "because coming into this week I had no expectations at all".

Sunday, she became the eighth Korean over the last 13 years to win this tournament, playing brilliantly down the stretch while while turning one remarkable story into another as she finished with an 11-under-par 277.

Sung Hyun Park claimed her first career victory in style as she captured the US Women's Open title. "So, I was quite touched", she said. "I wanted to believe in myself again for the final two rounds and I did".

"But I knew that, you know, on the last hole, I mean, when [Park] made the putt and people went like insane", said Feng, who led after the first, second and third rounds before stumbling Sunday.

Park, Choi and Feng did battle throughout the final round, but it was Park who held her nerve over the closing holes.

Feng could become the first US Women's Open wire-to-wire victor since American Hollis Stacy in 1977.

"The first two days didn't go as well as I thought they would", said Park, a South Korea resident, through an interpreter. The weather really hasn't bothered me.

Karrie Webb closed with a 76 to finish T44 at six over; Katherine Kirk closed with a flat 78 to finish T48 at seven over; and Su Oh carded a 77 to finist T56 at 10 over.

Three other Koreans, world number one Ryu So-yeon (71), Lee Mi-rim (67) and Lee Jeong-eun (73), were another stroke back at five-under. So I think the repetition and practice that I carried out probably paid off.